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Weekly Design Contest / Re: Weekly Design Contest #203: Mixed Box 2
« on: November 07, 2023, 07:47:57 pm »
Zoo
by 4444.
Empires+Menagerie
A landmark that rewards early Way plays, which adds a second WayThe problem with ways is that they have to be weak, because if they were strong, you'd always play them instead of cards. So, often you barely end up using Ways, or you have to wait for that ideal situation. Or sometimes, you just forget they are there, sitting on the table. Zoo perfectly solves that problem, giving an incentive for playing Ways early. It adds all the strategic choice of landmarks. I'm a big fan of this one; however, I don't like "add an extra Way." You'd have to add in sections to the rules about what multiple Ways mean (do you do both, or just choose one) and it's not so elegant. I think this card would be improved if the text read something like "Include a Way if there is none"
Finalist
Great judging (as always), I feel like you described the intent of my card better than I could have.
Just thought I'd clarify that, to my reading, the rules already are clear on what happens with two (or more) Ways in play. From the Menagerie rulebook:
"Each Way gives Action cards an additional option: you can play the Action for what
it normally does, or play it to do what the Way says to do."
It costs you the play of the Action card to do what a Way says to do, so in a kingdom with two ways, you can only choose one Way (per Action card played).
There's definitely some wiggle room, but this interpretation is in line with how the Temple Gate app* implements things. You can set up a Kingdom with as many as four ways, but whenever you have the option to play an Action as a Way, you have to select just one of the available ways.
Thanks again for a great contest!
(*I am aware that the app isn't necessarily the ultimate source for rulings, but it's still where I often check how an interaction works)
